MACY GRAY - The Trouble with Being Myself (2009) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

From her debut, Macy Gray has been too eccentric to qualify as a straight pop singer, but far too inconsistent to be truly called a great artist -- except, of course, when considering her glorious whiskey-soaked voice. Her third album, The Trouble With Being Myself, is more of the same, a set of sub-standard songs with drowsy chord progressions, humdrum lyrics, and loose-limbed but musically comatose backing from her studio group (heavy on the Hammond organ). Gray still wields her hoarse yet tuneful voice like a genius, hitting every note she wants despite the cracks and never letting it sound overly contrived. Unfortunately, she also continues to be the victim of chart-focused, overly market-tested arrangements that never break out of the mold of soulful, organic R&B and pop. The single "When I See You" is pleasant but clearly a song that required no heavy lifting, and the most intriguing setup on the record -- "It Ain't the Money" featuring Pharoahe Monch and Beck -- is surprisingly desultory as well. (Monch's raps are uncharacteristically awkward, and Beck clumsily plays a stoner Timbaland with his background vocals.) After the unrepentant ego on display with her second album, The Id, the title here (as well as the cover shot, of Gray crouching in the corner of an abandoned house with a mistrustful look on her face) apparently speaks to the fact that Gray's been persecuted for being "different." But the commercial and critical indifference that greeted The Id wasn't due to a lack of acceptance, but to a set of songs that was utterly average. That same lack of distinction plagues The Trouble With Being Myself. Blessed with a voice that immediately announces itself, Gray still hasn't found a musical personality to complement it. by John Bush  
Tracklist :
1    When I See You 3:43
Backing Vocals – Audra Cunningham-Nishita
Co-producer – Dave Way
Guitar – Mark Ronson
Guitar, Synthesizer [Arp] – Dallas Austin
Mixed By [Additional] – Thom Russo
Producer [Vocals] – Darryl Swann
Synthesizer [Moog] – Adam McDougall
2    It Ain't The Money 4:07
Backing Vocals – Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Pharoahe Monch
Co-producer – DJ Kiilu Grand
Engineer [Additional] – Chris Wonzer
Featuring – Pharoahe Monch
Guitar, Backing Vocals – Beck
Music By – Beck Hansen, Pharoahe Monch
Turntables – Jeremy Ruzumna, DJ Kiilu Grand
Turntables, Programmed By – Mark Ronson
3    She Ain't Right For You 4:12
Arranged By [Strings] – David Campbell
Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Zac Rae
Guitar – Jinsoo Lim
Programmed By – Dallas Austin
Synthesizer [Moog] – Adam McDougall
4    Things That Made Me Change 4:29
Bass Clarinet – Tracy Wannomae
Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Zac Rae
Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Printz Board
Music By – Andre "Dre" Harris, Vidal Davis
Programmed By – Dallas Austin
Trombone – Tom "Tombone" Rawls
5    Come Together 4:35
Backing Vocals – Dallas Austin, Marsha Ambrosius, Natalie Stewart
Bass – Chris Thomas
Clavinet – Jeremy Ruzumna
Co-producer – Dave Way
Guitar [Loop] – Victor Indrizzo
Music By – Christopher Thomas
Organ [Farfisa], Piano – Zac Rae
Saxophone – Charles Green
Trombone – Steve Baxter
Trumpet – Mike Harris
6    She Don't Write Songs About You 4:39
Co-producer – Darryl Swan
Music By – Darryl Swann
Programmed By – Darryl Swann
7    Jesus For A Day 3:30
Arranged By [Strings] – David Campbell
Backing Vocals – Traci Nelson
Clavinet, Organ [Wurlitzer], Organ – Zac Rae
Music By – Bobby Ross Avila, Izzy Avila
Piano, Backing Vocals – Bobby Ross Avila
Producer [Vocals] – Darryl Swann
8    My Fondest Childhood Memories 3:36
Backing Vocals – Ericka Yancey
Organ [Farfisa], Piano [Tack] – Zac Rae
Saxophone, Trombone – Dave Rolicke
Vocals [Opera] – Marsha "Songstress" Ambrosius
9    Happiness 4:13
Backing Vocals [Kids Choir] – Aanisah Hinds, Chris Richardson, Courtney Johnson, Happy Hinds, Joia Johnson, Logan Duntzelman, Sonny Swann, Tahmel Hinds
Chamberlin – Jeremy Ruzumna
Co-producer – Darryl Swan
Leader [Choir] – Dawn Beckman, Sy Smith
Music By – Darryl Swann
Organ [Wurlitzer] – Zac Rae
Programmed By, Guitar – Darryl Swann
Turntables – DJ Kiilu Grand
10    Speechless 4:16
Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals – Lukas Haas
Bass – Dave Wilder
Drums – Herb Graham Jr.
Organ [Hammond] – Adam MacDougall
Percussion – Maria Bambino
Piano, Synthesizer – Zac Rae
11    Screamin' 3:16
Backing Vocals – Estero, Kam Talbert, Maria Bambino, Rama Duke
Bass – Mike Elizondo
Co-producer – Kiilu Beckwith
Engineer [Additional] – Chris Wonzer
Guitar – Mark Ronson
Piano – Adam MacDougall
12    Every Now And Then 6:30
Backing Vocals – Maria Bambino
Organ – Jeremy Ruzumna
Percussion – Maria Bambino
Piano – Bobby Ross Avila
Programmed By – Israel Avila
Saxophone – Charles Green, Tracy Wannomae
Trombone – Steve Baxter, Tom "Tombone" Rawls
Trumpet – Mike Harris, Printz Board
Credits :
Backing Vocals – Chino Smith (pistas: 2, 3, 5, 8), Danielle Thomas (pistas: 4, 5, 8), Dawn Beckman (pistas: 2, 5, 6, 11), Fanny Franklin (pistas: 1, 3, 4), Macy Gray (pistas: 2, 6, 12), Sy Smith (pistas: 1, 4, 5, 11)
Bass – Justin Meldal-Johnsen (pistas: 1 to 4, 6 to 9, 12)
Chamberlin – Zac Rae (pistas: 3, 4, 8 to 10)
Drums – Victor Indrizzo (pistas: 1 to 9, 11, 12)
Guitar – Arik Marshall (pistas: 4, 5, 7, 8, 10), Victor Indrizzo (pistas: 1, 2, 9)
Lyrics By – Macy Gray
Music By – Jeremy Ruzumna (pistas: 1 to 3, 5 to 10, 12), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (pistas: 1 to 3, 6 to 10, 12), Macy Gray (pistas: 2, 6 to 9, 11, 12), Victor Indrizzo (pistas: 1 to 3, 5, 6, 8 to 10, 12)
Organ [Hammond] – Jeremy Ruzumna (pistas: 3, 5, 8)
Organ [Wurlitzer] – Jeremy Ruzumna (pistas: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8 to 10, 12)
Percussion – Scott Breadman (pistas: 1, 2, 4 to 8, 12)
Piano – Jeremy Ruzumna (pistas: 1, 8, 10)
Synthesizer – Jeremy Ruzumna (pistas: 1, 2, 6, 9, 11)
Synthesizer [Moog] – Jeremy Ruzumna (pistas: 2, 6, 11)